


Can't Catch Me, Tender Thoughts!

by spellingbee



Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album), The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Comic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blanket Permission, Getting Together, M/M, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Party Poison, Nonbinary Show Pony, Other, Podfic Welcome, Polyamory, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-11 20:44:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20552423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spellingbee/pseuds/spellingbee
Summary: Soulmates aren't real.That's why Better Living Industries removes the words from the skin of all citizens of Battery City, before anyone can read them.Sometimes, if you're careful, if you're sneaky, you can get out of the city with your words intact. You can find your soulmate, find the people you're meant to be with.More often than not, though, BL/ind wins.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Week 36!
> 
> this was a request from my friend krys (cinnibun-krysanthemum on tumblr), who wanted a starpartypony soulmate au! hope you enjoy! 😘
> 
> thank you as always to my zucchini ace (funkobraofficial on tumblr) for beta-reading this! i love you sooooo much!! 💕 be gay, do crimes!!
> 
> enjoy! 💖

> _ “Soulmates aren’t real. _
> 
> _ The words which appear on your body on your 15th birthday don’t mean anything. They are nonsense, and nonsense has no place among the clientele of Better Living Industries. This is why the words are removed as soon as they make their appearance. _
> 
> _ Better Living City Code, Section 19, states that Citizens of Battery City are forbidden from looking at the words on their skin. All citizens are to report to a Better Living-sanctioned healthcare facility the day before their 15th birthday so the words may be promptly removed. _
> 
> _ If a citizen does, by accident or by willful disobedience, read the words on their skin, they must immediately report to a Better Living re-education facility for prompt removal of the memories and any penchant for disobedience. _
> 
> _ People do not have soulmates, because soulmates are not real. Love is not real. The only thing citizens of Battery City should concern themselves with is doing as they’re told. For the betterment of humanity. _
> 
> _ For the good of Better Living Industries. _
> 
> _ Have a better day. And remember:  _ ** _Keep smiling!”_ **

\-----

When Jet Star was a kid, he knew he had to leave the city. Everyone around him was cold, or cruel, or  _ sad. _ Empty, despite the ever-present smiles on their faces. They were all  _ missing _ something, though he didn’t know what. He just knew that he couldn’t bear to be like them.

So when he turned ten and was given the medication all citizens were required to take, he refused. He hid the pills away in a bag in his closet, in the pockets of his jackets, in the toes of his shoes.

He didn’t take the pills, and he found other people who didn’t take the pills. People like  _ him. _ They helped him escape the city, escape out into the desert, where people were free and happy, where people could live their lives.

It’s hard, sometimes, to keep track of the days out in the zones. One day fades into the next, and you lose count of the sunrises.

It’s easy enough, however, to tell when your 15th birthday has arrived. You go to sleep with blank skin, unmarked except perhaps by scars or tattoos, and you wake up with  _ words _ etched into your flesh, contrasting sharply with your skin tone so there’s no way to miss them, shimmering with an otherworldly  _ something _ that makes them impossible to replicate with something as simple as ink.

Jet Star awoke the morning of his 15th birthday to find that both his arms now boasted words. He’d been in the desert for nearly three years at this point, so he knew what the words were, what they meant. Knew the BL/ind propaganda was blatantly false, that everyone had a soulmate, whether platonic or romantic or something entirely different.

He’d met many people with soulmates, some of whom had more than one, in fact. And it seemed that he was one of those lucky few with  _ two _ soulmates.

Now he just had to find them.

\-----

Show Pony left Battery City the week before aer 15th birthday. 

Ae’d stopped taking the pills a year before, aer emotions--joy, anger, sadness (real,  _ true _ sadness, not the emptiness the pills left you with)--coming back to aer in fits and starts.

When ae left, ae didn’t have help. Ae only had aer own eyes, aer own legs, and aer own brain to rely on, but somehow, ae managed to leave the city behind and make aer way out into the desert.

The first week was tough, nearly impossible, because Show Pony had never had to rough it before, and ae didn’t have the right clothes, didn’t know where to sleep or  _ when _ to sleep or what to  _ do. _

But, somehow, ae survived. Ae made it to a settlement, found a safe place to sleep, and only remembered it was aer birthday when ae woke up to discover the words, stark and shimmering on both arms.

The woman who had given Show Pony a place to stay patiently explained to aer what the words meant, what they were  _ for. _ The first words aer soulmates would ever say to aer.

Show Pony was more than a little scared to learn that ae had not just one, but  _ two _ soulmates. Two people who would love aer, and who  _ ae _ would love. 

Ae was going to do whatever it took to find them.

\-----

Party Poison didn’t leave the city until they were already 17 years old. 

Their 15th birthday had come and gone, and with it, the words decorating their arms. Party Poison hadn’t been allowed to see the words, of course, had had them removed as soon as they’d appeared.

All they knew was that they’d originally had words on both arms, the surgeons scouring them away and leaving them with nothing more than faint scars as proof that anything had ever been there.

The loss of those words had saddened Party Poison, far more than they’d been expecting it to. Through the numb sensation their medication gave them, they had begun to wonder what could have been, wonder what the two people they might have loved were like, wonder if they’d already met them, exchanged words with them, and been none the wiser.

They stopped taking the pills.

And when their little brother’s 15th birthday drew near, and he told them that he didn’t want to lose his words, wanted to search for his soulmate, they decided that they were both going to leave the city.

Tracking down some Juvee Halls to break the two of them out wasn’t difficult. Leaving Battery City behind, leaving their  _ life _ behind wasn’t difficult.

Their brother’s 15th birthday passed out in the zones, while they were on their way to their new life, and though Party Poison was glad to know that their brother’s words--a ridiculous statement, shimmering against the skin on the side of his neck--would remain intact, they couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy, couldn’t help but mourn, once again, the loss of their own words.

They would never know who their soulmates were.

\-----

Jet was nearly 16 when he met Fun Ghoul. Ghoul was just thirteen, a Batt fresh outta hell, and though he clearly didn’t know what he was doing, didn’t know how life worked out in the zones or how to survive on his own, there was an enthusiasm about him that Jet liked, something that made it seem like he  _ belonged _ out here.

Jet took him under his wing, taught him how to survive, how to  _ thrive. _ He and Ghoul grew closer, close enough to consider each other family, to call each other  _ brothers. _

They moved from town to town, camp to camp, taking work as mechanics or cooks or whatever other odd jobs they could get. 

Ghoul’s 15th birthday would have passed as uneventfully as his fourteenth, if not for the shimmering words that appeared on the side of his neck one morning. 

They celebrated together, and Jet read Ghoul’s words aloud to him, since they didn’t have a mirror, and words always seemed to swim and shift in Ghoul’s vision anyway, so he’d know his soulmate when he met them.  _ “I hadn’t expected that sentence to sound so hot,” _ they said.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Ghoul asked, lightly running his fingers over his neck, as though he could actually feel them.

Jet shrugged. “It’s probably a response,” he said, “to whatever you say first.” He shrugged his left arm out of his jacket and twisted it to show Ghoul. “I’ve got one of those, too.”

Ghoul bent forward to look at the words scrawled across the inside of Jet’s arm, even though he already knew what it said, had heard Jet read it aloud too many times to have forgotten it.

_ “No, I just think you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen,” _ it read. The words never failed to make Jet’s insides melt, make him feel so light he could fly. He had no idea what he’d say to this person to get this response, had thought about it many a night, tried to figure it out, but, he supposed, whatever happens will happen.

Ghoul snickered. “What about your other one?” he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye. 

Jet sighed, rolled his eyes--he’d known this was coming, honestly--and shrugged his right arm out of his jacket.

_ “Hey asshole, duck!”  _ this arm read. Jet had never quite been sure what to think of the soulmate who’d say this to him. What it meant, what situation it could  _ possibly _ be said in.

Ghoul laughed when he saw it. “One soulmate who thinks you’re hot shit,” he said, “an’ one who’s gonna chuck their shoe at you.”

Jet scoffed. “You don’t know that!” he said. “Come on, Ghoul, I was tryin’ to be  _ nice _ to you and  _ reassure _ you about your soulmark, and you’re returnin’ my kindness by bein’ a jerk!”

“Yeah,” Ghoul said, with no hint of remorse. “That’s what I do, Jet. You  _ know _ this.”

“Yeah,” Jet said, putting his jacket back on. “I’m well aware.” There was a pause, and then Jet launched himself at Ghoul, tackling him to the ground and tickling his sides.

Ghoul shrieked with laughter, trying to fight him off, tickling him back and kicking at him.

They wrestled for a minute or two, and then Ghoul gave up, going limp against the ground with a final breathless laugh. Jet rolled off of him to lay beside him, looking up at the slowly-lightening sky.

“We’ve got three people to look for, now,” Jet murmured, a few quiet minutes later. 

“Yeah,” Ghoul said, bumping his head into Jet’s shoulder. “We’re gonna have five people in our family.”

The idea made Jet grin.

\-----

“What the hell do you  _ mean _ you found your soulmate?!” Party practically shrieks, immediately throwing themself at their brother. They cling onto his shoulders, dragging him down so they can properly hug him. “What the hell, where did you  _ find _ them?!”

“Him,” Kobra corrects, and his voice is all soft and dreamy, like Party’s never heard it before, holy  _ shit. _ “I met ‘im at a bar,” he continues, reaching up to rub his fingers against the words on the side of his neck. “He’s so fuckin’... _ little, _ Party, holy shit.”

Party laughs, letting go of their brother so he can straighten back up. “Okay, shit, you really like the guy already, huh? Pretty great, since he fuckin’  _ insulted _ you right off the bat. What  _ happened?  _ Tell me everythin’, bro!”

Kobra chuckles, a quiet, happy sound. “He wasn’t insultin’ me,” he says. “Oh my god, Party.”

Party grabs his hand and shakes it, bouncing on their toes. “Would ya just  _ tell _ me already?!”

“Yeah, yeah, okay.” Kobra sits down in a booth, tugging Party to sit beside him. “Okay, so I was sittin’ at the bar, right? Nursin’ a drink. Gettin’ kinda bored. I was gettin’ ready to leave, actually, when I heard this, like,  _ shocked _ voice say,  _ ‘You look--’” _

_ “‘--like a giant fucking tree, holy shit,’” _ Party says with Kobra, because of course they’ve memorized their brother’s words. They’ve seen them every day for the past five years; it’d have been impossible  _ not _ to memorize them. “Okay, shit, what did  _ you _ say, though?!”

Kobra smirks just a little, ducking his head to hide it. “I mean, I knew they were  _ my words, _ ” he says. “Obviously. So after he said ‘em, I turned to look at ‘im, and there was just this tiny li’l dude with this long, greasy-ass hair standin’ there--”

“Wow,” says Party. “Way to talk up your soulmate.”

Kobra ignores them. “--just  _ starin’ _ at me with this fuckin’... _ awed _ expression, and like, I said the first thing that popped into my head, which was, uhh…” He glances up at them, a little sheepish. “... _ ’I hadn’t expected that sentence to sound so hot.’ _ ”

Party bursts into laughter again, slapping their brother on the back. “Holy shit!” they say. “Li’l bro!  _ That’s _ what was on your soulmate’s neck?”

“Yeah.” Kobra nudges their ankle with the toe of his boot. “We stared at each other for a second and then the guy just pointed at me and yelled, like, ‘Holy fuck I’m an idiot’ or somethin’ like that, and then we, y’know. Talked. Hung out. Exchanged contact information. He’s so fuckin’  _ perfect, _ Party, holy shit.”

Party leans in and hugs him, squeezes him tightly and enthusiastically.”Oh my  _ fuck, _ Kobes!” they say. “I can’t believe you met your goddamn  _ soulmate, _ what the hell’s his  _ name?!” _

“Fun Ghoul,” Kobra says, hugging them back. “He and his brother were travellin’ through, but when we found each other they decided to stick around here.”

“Well why the fuck didn’t you bring ‘em here with ya?” Party asks, releasing him and standing up out of the booth. “We got the room to put up two people, ya know?!”

“They had a job to do first,” Kobra says. “Trust me, if I coulda, I’da brought ‘em both here right away. But they’ll be here soon’s they’re done.”

Party grins, and ruffles their brother’s hair. “Well, good,” they say. “Fuck, li’l bro, I’m gonna clean up a couple rooms for ‘em!” They pause, and shoot Kobra a mischievous look. “That is, unless ya wanna share with your soulmate?”

Kobra blushes, and he ducks his head again, reaching out to whack Party on the head. “Shut up!” he hisses. “I barely know ‘im, I’m not ready for that!”

Party giggles, and swats him back. “I know, I know,” they say. “I’m just teasin’ ya, bro.” They ruffle his hair again, and soften their tone. “Seriously, though,” they say. “I’m happy for ya, Kobes.”

“Yeah. I know ya are.” Kobra smiles again, that tiny uptick at the corner of his mouth. “Can’t wait for ya to meet him,” he says. He reaches out and touches their forearm, the faint scarring where their words had once been. “An’ one day,” he says, “you’ll find your soulmates, too.”

Party pulls away, turns slightly. “Yeah, maybe,” they say, pretending they don’t feel that little pang in their chest. “It’s not important, Kobra. I’m not worried about it.”

“Yeah,” Kobra says. “I know ya aren’t.”

They’re both lying, of course. Party would love to meet their soulmates, but it’s not going to happen. They don’t have their words anymore; surely whatever connection they’d had with their soulmates has long since been broken. Besides, the thought of someone- _ -anyone, _ besides their brother--loving them unconditionally? It’s impossible. 

Still, Kobra seems optimistic that they’ll find their soulmates one day, that they’ll be loved the way Party knows  _ his _ soulmate’s gonna love  _ him _ . Sometimes, Party thinks it’s possible. Most of the time, though, they know it isn’t.

Whatever. As long as they’ve got Kobra, and Kobra has  _ his _ soulmate, then Party won’t be particularly bothered by their own lack of soulmates.

\-----

Show Pony’s been in the zones for almost nine years when ae meets aer first soulmate. 

Living out in the desert hasn’t been so bad, really. Ae loves the freedom, the heat on aer skin. After the first couple of months, surviving was barely an issue. Ae adapted quickly, befriending an ex-soldier-turned-DJ, Dr. Death Defying, who gave aer a place to sleep and a job to do, running messages between Dr. D and his many informants.

It’s not easy work. Ae has to move fast, avoid BL/ind’s detection. Ae teaches aerself to skate on pavement and on sand, faster than most people can  _ run. _

Pony talks to a lot of people on a weekly basis. New people aren’t uncommon. Each time ae meets someone new, ae can’t help but hope that the first words they exchange will be  _ their words, _ that ae’ll finally find one of aer soulmates.

But it takes nine years before it actually  _ happens. _

Pony’s working inside the radio station for once, piecing together bits of information ae’s received in the last couple of days, trying to find the hidden connection Dr. D needs to announce what BL/ind’s next moves will be. Ae’s been working at it for a while, and ae slumps forward, rubbing the heel of aer hand into aer eye with a sigh. Ae needs a break.

Ae stands up and stretches aer arms up high over aer head. Faintly, ae can hear Dr. D in the other room, talking to someone.

“It should be an easy fix,” he’s saying. “I just can’t quite reach that far back in the engine, y’know?”

Ah. The mechanics Dr. D had mentioned must be here, then. Lucky they’d been travelling through, or Pony’d have had to try and fix the damn van aerself. 

Dr. D’s voice fades away, and ae hears the door shut a moment later. Gone to work. 

Ae stretches one more time, then skates away from aer desk and out into the main room of the shack, where Dr. D has his radio station set up. It’s getting kind of messy in here; ae should probably clean up today.

Show Pony turns to look out the window, and ae can see Dr. D, sitting in his wheelchair in front of his van, peering into the engine and pointing at something while two people Pony’s never seen before nod along to whatever he’s saying.

One person’s pretty short, standing just a little taller than Dr D is in his wheelchair. Pony can’t see the person’s face, just his shoulder-length black hair and the dirty clothes he wears.

The other person is taller, leaning over the car and reaching for something further back in the engine. His clothes are just as dirty as the other person’s, tight jeans and dark jacket. His hair is long, too, dark and curly and tied back from his face.

Pony finds aerself interested in these two strangers. New people bring new stories and new information, and ae’s gotten into the habit of gathering as much of that as ae can. That and, well...Pony just loves talking to new people, making friends, all that good stuff. And the possibility of meeting one of aer soulmates, of course, though the chances of that happening are always low.

Still, it’s always worth the chance.

Pony heads out of the shack and into the dry desert heat. Ae skates across the sand and leans against the side of the van to watch them, not wanting to interrupt just yet. 

“Yeah,” says the smaller person. “Should be pretty easy to fix, ‘s long’s ya got the right parts.”

“I’m sure we can get ‘em if we don’t already have ‘em,” Dr. D says. “Jus’ let me or Show Pony here know whatcha need an’ we’ll see to it.”  
“You or who?” The curly-haired person looks up and meets Pony’s gaze. 

They stare at each other for a moment. The curly-haired person has beautiful brown eyes, warm and comforting. His skin is a deep tan, a shade or two darker than Pony’s own skin, his chin and cheeks are covered with a soft scruff, and a single strand of his dark, curly hair hangs down his face, escaped from his ponytail.

He’s gorgeous, and Pony can’t bring aerself to look away.

“Do I have something on my face?” He asks, and Pony feels aer heart stutter in aer chest, feels aer  _ words _ tingle on aer  _ arm. _

“No,” Pony says, feeling short of breath. Ae leans forward, tilting aer head to look at him better. Ae smiles. “I just think you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.”

And Pony  _ knows _ he’s aer soulmate, knows it without a doubt, because ae can see when the recognition hits his face, watches as his smile stretches across his face, a blush darkening his cheeks.

“I don’t believe it,” he says. “I--you--are you my  _ soulmate?” _

“I must be,” Pony says, shifting closer so ae can put aer hand on his shoulder.

“Holy shit,” says the smaller person, and Pony only turns to look at him when aer soulmate does first, “Jet. Holy shit. You an’ me seriously met our soulmates on the  _ same goddamn day?” _

“I,” says Pony’s soulmate--Jet, apparently, “I guess so? I mean, uh, one of them.” He turns back to Pony, with a little grin on his face. “I, uh, have two soulmarks,” he says.

Pony feels aerself brighten even more. “No kiddin’?” ae says. “Me, too!” Ae holds out aer arms, displaying both Jet’s words--still faintly tingly--and the words on aer other arm. “Maybe they’re the same person, hm?”

Jet sends Pony a glance that aer reads as  _ may I? _ Ae nods, and Jet gently takes Pony’s wrists in his hands, his calluses rubbing over aer skin in a way that  _ thrills _ aer. He bends his head to read the words.

_ “Do I have something on my face?” _ he reads aloud, and promptly drops that arm to slap his palm against his forehead. “Oh, Destroya,” he says. “That was such a stupid thing to say, I just--I mean, you were lookin’ at me, an’ you’re so  _ pretty, _ and--”

Pony laughs, reaching out to pull his hand away from his forehead and smile at him. “It isn’t stupid, darling,” ae says. “I used to spend all my free time daydreaming about what to say in response to it!”

“And by ‘used to,’” Dr. D says, “ae means ae was doin’ that just last night.” Pony glances up just in time to see him roll his eyes, and ae rolls aer own eyes right back at him.

“By ‘used to,’” ae says, “I mean I don’t have to do it anymore, because I found the person the words were from!”

Jet makes a little  _ oh _ sound and shrugs one arm out of his jacket. His other arm is still on aer opposite wrist, Pony notices.

“My name’s Jet Star,” he says, extending his bared forearm out to aer. Pony reads the words on his arm-- _ No, I just think you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen _ \--and smiles to aerself. Those are some good words, if ae does say so aerself.

Ae lifts aer head to look him in the eye again. “Show Pony,” ae says. “Been waitin’ for ya a long time, sugar.”

“Yeah,” says Jet, beaming. “Me, too.”

\----- 

Jet feels like he’s in a dream, feels light and airy and like everything’s right in the world.

He’s just spent the past three hours talking to one of his soulmates--his  _ soulmate!- _ -while Ghoul worked on Dr. Death-Defying’s van. He feels kind of guilty for not helping out with the job, but he figures he’ll make it up to him by giving him some alone time with his own soulmate later.

Show Pony is...wonderful. That’s the only way he can really describe aer. Well, no. There are a lot of other words he could use: charming. Kind. Unreasonably attractive. Funny. Just...wonderful, really.

And Jet’s never known whether his soulmates would be platonic or romantic--still doesn’t  _ know _ , really--but he thinks there’s definitely some potential for romance with Pony. A  _ lot _ of potential, in fact. 

“Jet!” Ghoul’s voice interrupts his thoughts, and he glances over at him. “We’re almost there,” he says. “Fuck, I’m gonna get to hang out with my  _ soulmate!” _

Jet shakes himself out of his thoughts and grins at Ghoul. “Yeah,” he says. “What was his name again? Cobra...Child?”

Ghoul rolls his eyes.  _ “Kobra Kid,” _ he sternly corrects. He brightens then. “D’you think they’ll let your soulmate stay with us, too?” Ghoul asks. “I mean, how much room do you think they’ll have in their diner? A diner’s gotta be pretty big, right? Kobra said he had a sibling. With Show Pony here, that’d make 5 people. That’s not a lot for somethin’ as big as a diner, right? An’ then when you find your other soulmate, that’ll be 6. Oh, and Kobra’s sibling’s soulmate. Soulmates? So, like, 7 people. Maybe 8 or 9, I dunno. Is that too many people?”

Jet laughs, placing a hand on Ghoul’s shoulder. “Ghoul,” he says. “Show Pony has a home they like. I don’t think it’s anything we have to worry about right away.”

“Oh,” says Ghoul. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Just thinkin’ ahead, y’know? It’s gonna be weird, like...stayin’ someplace for more than a couple weeks. Unless...d’you think Kobra would wanna travel with us?”

Jet shrugs. “Would you rather travel?”

Ghoul thinks for a minute, then shakes his head. “I dunno,” he says. “Kinda wanna just...stay put for a while. See what it’s like.” His eyes get a faraway, dreamy look to them. “Shit, man. My  _ soulmate. _ ”

Jet knocks his shoulder into Ghoul’s. “Your soulmate,” he agrees.

Jet wonders about the future, sometimes. Usually he’s thinking about finding work, or completing their current jobs. Making sure they have enough to eat and drink, medical supplies, that kind of thing. Wondering about his and Ghoul’s soulmates, and what life would be like when they’d found them.

It seems like that’s no longer going to be a worry for the future, though. Not for long, anyway.

He wonders if Ghoul and Kobra would even want Jet to stick around for long after they get to know each other, and figure out how they fit into each other’s lives. He doesn’t really think that Ghoul would kick him out or anything--they’ve been through too much together, they’re  _ family- _ -but he doesn’t know much about Kobra Kid except that he seems to be excited about getting to know Ghoul (good, that means he has good taste, at least), and that he lives in an old diner with his sibling. 

He also doesn’t know much about Show Pony, yet. Doesn’t know if ae would want to live someplace with 4 to 8 other people, or even if ae’d want to live with  _ Jet. _ Just because they’re soulmates doesn’t mean they’re compatible in every sense, after all. They’ll have to get to know each other more before they can really know what the future holds for them.

Not that Jet will mind getting to know aer, of course.

“Oh, shit,” Ghoul says, snapping Jet out of his thoughts yet again. “That’s gotta be the diner, right? It’s right where Kobra said it’d be, an’ it’s, like, a  _ diner.” _

Jet follows Ghoul’s gesture to see a low building in the middle of the darkening desert, with light pouring out from a large picture window at the front of the building.

“That’s  _ gotta _ be it,” he says, and grabs Ghoul’s hand. “C’mon, let’s getcha to your soulmate!”

Ghoul giggles, high and loud, and they run toward the diner together.

They’re just nearing the front doors when Jet hears someone cry out, frantically: “Hey, asshole! Duck!”

Jet freezes, causing Ghoul to stumble backwards, because those are  _ his words. _ His other words, the words on his other arm. He can feel the tingle, the same tingle he’d felt earlier, when Show Pony had first spoken to him.

“Uhhh,” he says, mind fried, “what?”

Something heavy hits him in the head then, and he stumbles backward, pulling Ghoul with him and causing the both of them to trip down into the dirt.  _ “Oof,” _ comes Ghoul’s pained exhale. “What the  _ fuck?” _

“Oh, shit!” The voice--Jet’s _second_ _soulmate’s_ voice--calls down from above. “Fuck, sorry, didn’t see ya ‘til it was too late!” 

Jet blinks and squints up toward the roof of the diner, trying to see who’s talking in the weird half-light. He can see a figure, cloaked in shadows, but he can’t make out anything else, like facial features or any colors. 

The figure moves, climbing down from the roof via a ladder Jet hadn’t noticed, more and more of them becoming visible as they enter the light from the window.

They’re about average height, with light tanned skin about the same as Kobra’s was, with bright red chin-length hair. He still can’t make out their facial features or eye color, but...wow.

“Damn, sorry,” the person says again. “Seriously, shouldn’t go kickin’ my boots off like that, but I’m not used to anyone bein’ around here ‘cept me an’ my bro, y’know?” they pause, looking between Jet and Ghoul. “Now, hang on, which one’a you is Kobra’s soulmate? Fun Ghoul?”

“That’s me,” Ghoul says, bouncing back to his feet. He’s grinning mischievously, Jet knows without even seeing him. He makes a gesture, half-hidden in the half-light. “This guy over here’s  _ your _ soulmate though.” He turns to look at Jet, and now he can see the grin for himself.  _ “Told _ ya they’d chuck a shoe at you!”

Jet laughs, a little breathlessly, and gets shakily to his feet. “I guess you did,” he says, and turns his attention to the person who can only  _ be _ his second soulmate. They’re standing stock-still in the shadows, expression hidden.

“Um,” he says, more nervous than he’d felt talking to Show Pony, “Hi. Sorry, about...him.” He gestures to Ghoul. “I’m Jet Star. Uh.  _ Are _ you my soulmate? Or is this just a  _ really _ weird coincidence?”

It’s  _ not _ a coincidence, he knows. He felt the tingle on his arm. He  _ knows _ they’re his soulmate.

“No,” they say, breaking out of their frozen state to shake their head. “I’m not--I don’t-- _ we’re _ not--!”

“Oh.” Jet’s confusion makes itself known in his tone, because,  _ what? _ How could it be wrong? He  _ heard _ the words, felt the tingle. How could this person  _ not _ be his soulmate? “Um, wait, hang on, sorry.” He steps forward and shrugs his arm out of his jacket, twists his arm so that they can read the words in the light from the window.  _ “Hey, asshole, duck!” _ “See? You said that just now. I--wait, what were my words to you?” He feels his face heat up. “Oh, shit, they were really stupid, weren’t they? I don’t even know, my brain just shut off, I--”

“No,” they say again, stepping away from him. “No, I--I don’t have any soulmates.”

Jet blinks, his confusion growing. “What? Everyone has at least one soulmate,” he says. 

“No,” they say a third time. “I don’t have--!”

“Party?” That’s Kobra’s voice, Jet knows. He glances up, away from his maybe-soulmate, and sees him standing in the doorway. “What’s wrong?”

Jet’s soulmate--Party--shakes their head again. “I don’t  _ have _ any soulmates!” They turn and dash away, off into the desert.

“Wait--!” Ghoul calls, making to run after them, but Jet grabs his arm, pulling him up short. 

“Let ‘em go,” Jet says quietly. “They don’t want anything to do with me. It’s okay.” Sure, he’s confused, and more than a little hurt, but that doesn’t give him the right to chase them into the sands in the dark. 

“What happened?” Kobra Kid asks, sounding just as confused as Jet is.

“Your sibling’s Jet’s soulmate,” Ghoul tells him, shaking his arm out of Jet’s grip. “But instead of talkin’ to him or whatever, they just ran off!” Ghoul throws his arms up into the air, exasperated.

“Oh shit,” Kobra says, and fixes his gaze on Jet. “You--are you  _ sure _ you’re soulmates?” 

“Yeah,” Jet says. “I mean, I felt the--you know, the tingle.”

“Destroya,” Kobra murmurs under his breath. “I knew they couldn’ta lost the connection, but--”

“What are you talkin’ about?” Jet asks. Connection? “I mean, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble--I wouldn’t want to hurt them, of course, but I--are they okay?”

“Party had their words removed by BL/ind before we left the city,” Kobra says, and Jet’s stomach twists. “They thought their soulmate connection was broken. Thought they’d never meet their soulmates. They just have...stuff to work through. I think.” 

“Oh,” Jet whispers. “That’s--are they gonna be okay? Party?”

“Give ‘em time,” Kobra says. “They’ll come around.” He turns to Ghoul then, and smiles a little. “C’mon,” he says. “I’ll show ya your rooms.”

Jet follows Kobra and Ghoul into the diner, but not before glancing over his shoulder into the dark desert once more.

The thought of one of his soulmates having spent so long without their words...not knowing whether they would ever meet their soulmate, not knowing whether they’d ever meet, ever experience that love…

It hurts. Jet wants to go after them, but...that’s not his decision to make.

He just hopes they won’t do anything reckless and end up hurt even worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah........party.................. :')
> 
> thanks for reading!! part 2, aka the CONCLUSION, will be up next week! see you next sunday! ✌
> 
> if you enjoyed this, feel free to leave kudos or a comment! i'd love to hear your thoughts! 💖


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Week 37!
> 
> big thank you to my zucchini ace (funkobraofficial on tumblr) for beta-reading this!! without them, you guys would be reading a Tsouddmates au instead of soulmates. everybody say thank you ace for making this readable!! 😘
> 
> this is the conclusion to last week's chapter! please enjoy!! 💖

Party doesn’t pay any attention to how far they’ve gone. They just run, run, run farther out into the desert, as far as they can get from the diner, from the person claiming to be _ their soulmate. _

They know it’s a stupid reaction to have. Running away like this is probably the _ worst _ way they could have reacted to that. But what else could they do? Their head and their chest and their gut had been filled with panic, they couldn’t think straight, could barely think at _ all. _

He can’t be their soulmate. Right? Party’s words are gone. They’ve been gone for eight years now. And anyway, what are the chances that they and their brother would meet their soulmates on the _ same day? _ It’s gotta be, like, a cruel joke or something. Someone pulling a prank on them, making them think...that someone other than their brother could _ care _ about them.

Just a prank. Right? But then how do they explain away that weird feeling in their arm, the sharp _ something _ when that guy- _ -Jet Star- _-had spoken to them. 

Party stops then, lungs screaming, chest heaving. They drop down onto the ground, folding their legs underneath them, and roll up the sleeve of their jacket. Their arm is still bare, nothing but freckles and the faintest silvery scar.

They check their other arm, just in case, but it’s just the same. 

Frustrated, they fall backward, their back hitting the dry sand and dirt and sending up a cloud of dust around them. This isn’t helping. This is...the _ worst. _

They lay there for a bit--don’t know how long, exactly--just staring up at the slowly-appearing stars in the sky above them. Their soulmate. Their goddamn _ soulmate. _

This isn’t real. Right? Right. Fuck.

Party needs to stop thinking about it, stop their mind from going round and round in circles, whirling around with this thought that’s only making them panic _ more. _ They need to get their mind off this.

They need to get _ drunk. _

\-----

Show Pony celebrates meeting aer soulmate the same way ae celebrates everything: with food and drink and dancing.

Parties aren’t exactly uncommon out here in the zones, with everyone wanting to celebrate as much of their life as they can, whenever they can. All parties have music and dancing, alcohol. Fewer have food available for guests--or at least, _ free _ food--but either way, at least most of aer celebratory needs will be met.

There’s a party nearby, tonight. Pony has a sixth sense about this sort of thing. Ae isn’t sure if ae can hear the voices, or the music, from a long way off, or maybe see the bright flickering lights against the clouds, or what, but for whatever reason, ae can always find a party when ae wants to, almost as if by magic.

Ae doesn’t know who the host of this party is, but that hardly matters, all things considered. There’s no such thing as an invite-only party out here. If you throw a party, you need to expect at least a dozen strangers showing up.

The music here isn’t the best, but that’s okay. It’s loud and fast, energetic and fun, regardless of the lack of technical skill that went into its creation. People are dancing, shouting the lyrics out together. This is the kind of atmosphere Pony craves.

Ae makes aer way through the crowd, skating between flailing bodies, pausing a few times to dance with someone, or to exchange greetings with someone ae knows. 

“I met my soulmate today!” Pony shouts over the music when ae comes across aer friend, DJ Hot Chimp. “He’s _ ravishing!” _

“No fuckin’ _ way,” _ Hot Chimp shouts back, sloshing whatever dark liquid she has in her glass over the side. “Congrats, Pony, that’s fuckin' _ brilliant!” _

Pony laughs and accepts the sudden, squeezing hug she offers aer. “Look,” ae says, pulling away and extending aer arm. “Look, look, it was this one, see?”

_ “Do I have something on my face,” _ she reads aloud, although Pony’s showed it to her often enough that ae’s sure she remembers it. “Wait, wait, shit, Pone, how’d that _ go? _ What were _ his _ words? What’d you fuckin’ _ say _ to him?”

“He was one of the travellin’ mechanics Dr. D hired for the van,” Pony tells her, “And, like, he was just real pretty, ya know, so I was lookin’ at ‘im, as one does, an’ he just _ said it! _ And of course, because I’m always so charmin’ an’ well-prepared, I said, 'I just think you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.'” 

“Shit! “ Hot Chimp slugs Pony in the shoulder with the hand not clutching her drink. “That’s a good fuckin’ line, Pone, what the hell! Imagine havin’ that tattooed on you for your whole life, like, _ damn!” _ She stretches her own arm out toward aer, bends her wrist so ae can see the words shimmering on the inside of her wrist. “Y’know I love Newsie, but _ ‘What’s crack-a-lackin’ homeslice’ _ isn’t nearly as romantic as _ that!” _

Pony laughs. “First words don’t have to be romantic,” ae says. “I think those words suit the both of you just perfectly.”

“Damn, Pony,” Hot Chimp says. “You always know what to say.” She looks at something over Pony’s shoulder, grins and waves. “Gotta get back to Newsie,” she tells aer. “See ya later, Pone. And congrats!”

“Thanks, sugar,” ae calls as she walks away. “Have fun!”

Aer excitement only having increased, Pony skates over to the makeshift bar that’s been set up on one side of the room and pours aerself a glass of one of the lighter cordials. 

Ae has plans to meet up with Jet Star again tomorrow evening. Pony’s always hoped that at least one of aer soulmates would be romantic, and ae certainly sees that as a possibility with Jet. Getting to know him, being able to flirt a little, will certainly reveal whether that’s true or not.

Ae takes aer drink and goes back into the crowd to dance, taking little sips between partners. Ae wonders whether Jet likes to dance, whether he likes music and parties. It will be wonderful to find out.

Pony slides backwards and bumps into someone. Ae turns around to apologize, but before ae can say anything, the person says, “Hey, you come here often?”

Aer other arm tingles. This is impossible. Their _ second _ soulmate?

“That depends,” ae shakily replies, “do you?”

The person tilts their head at aer, blinking slowly. They look drunk. No, more than drunk, they look _ wasted, _ their eyelids drooping and their face slack. Pony can just make out the freckles on their face, dotting their cheekbones and across their nose. Their hair is red, chin-length, and messy, like someone’s been running their hands through it, tugging at the strands. 

They rub at their arm. “Fuck,” they mutter, voice slurred. “Guess it really _ wasn’t _ real.”

Pony steps up close to them and gently places a hand on their upper arm. Something’s wrong with their soulmate, ae can tell, but ae doesn’t know _ what. _ Doesn’t know what to do to help them.

“Do you wanna get out of here?” ae asks, leaning in close to murmur in their ear.

They jerk back, frowning heavily at Pony. _ “No,” _ they spit, and Pony fights not to recoil. “I got a fuckin’ soulmate, can’t--don’t _ wanna--fuck.” _ They lift their hand and rub the palm into their eye.

Pony’s at a loss for what to do. Nothing makes sense. Aer soulmate didn’t even mention the words, and they say they already _ have _ a soulmate--but then again, so does Pony, and Jet has a second soulmate too, so maybe--? 

But they’re too drunk to really make any sense, anyway. 

Pony shoves aside aer confusion and focuses on _ helping. _ Ae places aer hand on their arm again, gently yet firmly. “Did you come here with anyone?” ae asks.

Aer soulmate tries to shrug aer off, but they only succeed in stumbling against aer. _ “No,” _ they say again. “An’ I’m not goin’ anywhere with some... _ rando, _ I got a--got a--got a _ soulmate. _ Don’t wanna...don’t wanna fuckin’....” they trail off into indistinct mutters, leaning against Pony’s side.

Aer heart lurches. Ae doesn’t even know this person’s _ name. _ All ae knows is that they’re one of aer soulmates, and that means ae’s responsible for helping them however ae can.

Pony wraps aer arm around aer soulmate’s shoulders and holds them upright, tugging them toward the exit. It’s difficult, skating and dodging around people while also keeping a staggering soulmate tucked up against aer side, but ae manages to get them both out of the house and into the much quieter, darker desert.

“Now,” ae says, keeping aer voice calm and cheerful, “where do you live?”

“You ain’t gettin’ me to no...no fuckin’..._ secondary location, _ asshole,” aer soulmate mutters, but they don’t try to pull away. 

Ae sighs. “I just want to take you _ home _ so you can _ rest,” _ Pony says. “You really don’t seem in the best condition to stick around a place like this, sugar.”

“Look, bub,” aer soulmate says, pulling away from aer and swaying slightly. “I toldja, I got a _ soulmate, _so just buzz the fuck off, okay?”

Pony shoots them what they hope is a withering glare. “Are you tellin’ me,” ae says, “that I didn’t say your words back there?”

“Huh?” aer soulmate blinks at them again, rubs absently at their arm. “Oh. I dunno.”

Ae feels aer face scrunch up. “How could you not _ know?” _ ae asks. 

Aer soulmate shrugs.”Don’t have ‘em,” they say. They tip forward, and Pony scrambles to catch them before they can fall to the ground.

“Are you alright?” 

Ae doesn’t get a response. Aer soulmate’s fucking _ passed out. _

Pony grits aer teeth and adjusts aer grip on them. Luckily Dr. D’s radio station isn’t _ too _ far, but still. It’s farther than ae wants to go, hauling a second person around.

Ae won’t leave them here, though. Ae doesn’t know what’s going on with them, but ae won’t leave either of aer soulmates behind.

\-----

Party’s disoriented when they wake up. 

Their head is pounding. The lights _ hurt _ , stabbing at their eyes. Fuck, they shouldn’t have drank so much last night. Why the hell _ had _ they drank so much last night? 

Where are they, anyway? There shouldn’t be this much light in Party’s room, they’d hung big sheets of black fabric up to keep the light out a long time ago. Did they fall asleep in the dining room or some shit? That _ would _ explain why it feels like they’re laying on something distinctly un-mattress-like, though...it doesn’t feel like they’re laying in a booth, either.

Party blinks their eyes open again, squinting up at what is _ not _ the ceiling of literally _ any _ room in the diner. The ceiling’s too low for them to be in the dining room, and the dark wood and exposed rafters aren’t any of the bedrooms or storage rooms, either.

They sit up, head spinning with the too-quick motion. They put their hand to their forehead in an attempt to steady themself, and look around. 

They’re on a sofa in a small, cluttered room, a thick blanket tucked around them. Looking out the window, they can see the sun rising above the hills in the distance, a van parked a little ways away.

Wait, Party knows that van. It’s Doctor Death-Defying’s van. They’ve never personally met the guy, but they’ve seen the van and some of his crew around often enough that it’s easily recognizable.

So what the fuck is Party doing in Doctor Death-Defying’s goddamn _ radio station _ or whatever the hell this is?

They hear a door open, and then the sound of something sliding or rolling against wood. They turn toward the sounds and find someone coming toward them on roller skates. They look familiar, but Party isn’t sure why.

“Oh!” the person says, coming to a stop a couple of feet from the couch. “Good to see you’re awake, darling. How do you feel?”

“Like shit,” Party answers honestly. They blink, trying to focus and lessen their headache. “Who’re you?”

“Show Pony,” the person--Show Pony--says. “Ae/aer pronouns, if you please.” Show Pony looks them over, looks them up and down, studying them, it looks like. “How much do you remember from last night, sugar?”

“Uh.” Party thinks back, but they really can’t remember anything except-- _ “Fuck,” _ they say, burying their face in their hands. “I met my fuckin’ _ soulmate _ last night!”

“Yes!” Show Pony says brightly. “Glad to know you’re admitting it now.”

“Admitting what?” Part asks. They bring their hand up to rub at their arm, running a finger over the barely-there scar. 

Show Pony quirks an eyebrow at them. “That I’m your soulmate?” ae says, bafflingly.

“No, no, no,” Party says, shaking their head. “There’s _ no _ way that _ you’re-- _ I mean, I met you at the _ party, _ okay.” Some of their memories are coming back, though not many. “I went there to get my soulmate _ off _ my mind, not to--”

“Wait,”” Show Pony says, leaning forward. “You met your soulmate _ before _ we met?”

_ “Yes!” _ Party says, throwing their hands in the air. They pause, and then lower them. “Or, I...guess I did. I dunno, I don’t have any... _ proof.” _ Jet Star had seemed pretty adamant about it...and their arm _ did _ tingle when he spoke...but that could just be a weird coincidence. Right? Party doesn’t have their words anymore, so there’s nothing there _ to _ tingle. It was just some kind of...wishful thinking.

Show Pony hums, then reaches out, displaying aer own forearm. Party’s breath catches in their throat, because Show Pony has a soul mark in the same place Party, presumably, once did. 

That’s just a coincidence though, right? Just because two people have marks in the same place doesn’t mean they’re soulmates. How many times had Party seen someone with words on their neck? And Kobra only had the one soulmate. That Fun Ghoul kid Party hadn’t had the chance to properly meet last night.

Show Pony gently takes Party’s arm in aer hand and meets Party’s eye. “May I?” ae asks, softly.

Party nods jerkily, and Show Pony carefully pushes Party’s sleeve up to their elbow.

“Oh,” ae murmurs, running their fingertips over Party’s faint scar. “Oh.”

Aer tone is gentle, but Party can hear the _ sympathy _ in aer voice. Party pulls their arm back and quickly rolls their sleeve down. “Yeah, so,” they say, trying to cover up their sudden embarrassment. “I should prob’ly go, so--”

“Wait,” Show Pony says, catching their wrist again. “Wait. You may have lost your soul marks, but I still have mine.” Show Pony holds out aer arm again, gesturing to the words there. _ “Hey, you come here often?” _it reads. “See? This is what you said to me last night.”

“I’m sure people say that to you all the time,” Party says, but they don’t pull away. Something in them is telling them to listen, to _ pay attention _ to Show Pony.

“Yeah,” Show Pony says with a little chuckle, “but none of ‘em’ve ever made me _ tingle _ before, ya know?”

Party touches their forearm again. “Okay,” they say, still not quite believing it, “okay, I guess, but--look. I got two soulmates, right? An’ I met one of ‘em last night, before the party.” They hold their other arm out. “What the _ fuck _ are the chances of me meetin’ _ both _ soulmates in one day?!”

Instead of looking disappointed, or angry, as Party’d thought ae would, Show Pony just smiles. “Probably the same odds as _ me _ meetin’ both’a _ mine _ in one day,” ae says, and holds out aer other arm. This one reads, _ “Do I have something on my face?” _ and Party can’t help but snort. 

“Nice words,” they say teasingly, and Show Pony lets out a short little laugh. 

“Yes, well,” Show Pony says, “I certainly treasure them. I met my other soulmate yesterday, before the party, too. Jet Star’s a real sweetheart. I’m sure you’ll like him, if you’d like to meet him.”

But Party’s frozen. Jet Star? That’s the name of _ their _ soulmate. They think. Fuck, wait, that’s too big of a coincidence. If Show Pony and Party both have two soulmates, and they both share Jet Star, then maybe Party and Show Pony really _ are _ soulmates, and maybe that thing with Jet Star wasn’t a fluke, and maybe Party just fucking ran out on their goddamn _ soulmate? _

“Holy shit,” they whisper, more to themself than to Show Pony. “I gotta get home.” They jump to their feet, nearly toppling Show Pony, who grabs at them again.

Party grabs Show Pony’s hand, tugging aer along. 

If Party really has two soulmates, they’re not gonna let either of them feel abandoned any more than they have to.

\-----

Jet still doesn’t really know what to do about his soulmates’ disappearance. 

Kobra Kid had told him to wait it out, and since he’s sure Kobra knows his sibling better than _ Jet _ knows them, he’s inclined to do as he suggests. Still, it’s difficult; he doesn’t know if they’re _ okay _, or anything like that at all.

Jet tries to think about something else. The diner is a nice place to live, he thinks, even though he’s only been here since last night. A dining room, with lots of booths and tables, a whole kitchen--though most of the appliances there don’t really work anymore, he and Ghoul can probably fix a couple of them up or use them for parts--a bathroom, and a couple of storage rooms downstairs.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, another bathroom, and a small room that was probably intended for a living room, judging by the old TV sitting in one corner, but has since been turned into yet another storage room. 

One of the bedrooms belongs to Kobra and his sibling, and another now belongs to Jet and Ghoul. Jet has a feeling that’ll be changing fairly soon, with Kobra and Ghoul claiming the third bedroom for themselves, but he doesn’t know when.

He also doesn’t know if he and Party will be sharing a room at some point, because he doesn’t know if Party will even want anything to do with him. 

And there’s still Pony to figure out, too. Having two soulmates isn’t exactly common, though it’s not rare, either. Still, the more people in his life, the harder his life gets to organize. Not that he’s complaining about having more people in his life, or anything.

Jet’s still pondering the possibilities when he hears the front door slam open from down below. 

“Jet Star, darling,” a voice calls, and it only takes Jet an instant to recognize it as Pony’s, “are you here? We have a surprise for you,” ae says in a sing-song manner.

Jet climbs off his bed and hurries for the stairs. Ghoul and Kobra had gone off somewhere together, so he isn’t worried about disturbing them. He just wants to see Pony, and tell aer about Party.

“Pony,” he says, stepping down from the staircase and coming around the corner toward aer, “I didn’t think you’d find the place so easy, how did you--” Jet pauses mid-step as his eyes land on a red-headed figure in a blue jacket, standing with their hand grasped in Pony’s. 

Party Poison?

“Oh,” Jet says, confused and suddenly unsure. “Oh, Party, you. Uh.”

Party looks him over, mouth set in a hard line. Jet doesn’t know what to think. “You’re my soulmate?” Party asks.

“Uh,” Jet says again. “Um. Yes?” He holds out his arm, the one displaying Party’s words to him. “You said this last night. I--”

_ “Hey, asshole, duck,” _ they read aloud, bending closer to look at it. “Damn,” they say. “That’s, uh. That’s not a great soulmark.” Party laughs, a little uncertainly, Jet thinks, but it’s good.

“I don’t know,” he says quietly. “I’m sort of partial to it, actually.”

“What does Pony’s soulmark say?” they ask, reaching for his other arm. 

“It’s, uh,” he says, feeling his face heat up a little. “It’s, well. A little more romantic than yours.” 

_ “No, I just think you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen,” _ Party reads aloud. “Damn,” they say. “Pony has a real way with words, huh?”

“I certainly do, darling,” Pony says, speaking up for the first time since Jet’s come downstairs. Ae reaches over and dras aer arms over both Party’s and Jet’s shoulders, pulling them both into a hug. “I can’t believe this!” ae says. “Both my soulmates in one day! Oh, no one’s _ ever _ been as lucky as _ me. _ As _ us.” _

“Well,” Party says, hesitantly. “I still don’t...I mean, what if there was a mistake? What if I’m _ not _ your soulmate--either of you--an’ we go on like this an’--an’ then you meet your _ actual _ soulmate, or soulmates, or _ whatever, _ and all this, all this _ whatever _ we’ll’ve had is just... _ nothin’?” _

“That’s not gonna happen,” Jet says. “Party...even if you don’t have your words, it’s...I just _ know. _ Can’t you feel it, too?” He tilts his head, peering around Show Pony to look at Party. “Like we... _ belong _ together. Somehow.” He reaches up and touches his chest, splaying his fingers out over it. “Right here, in your heart. I--” he pauses, his face heating up again. He clears his throat, ducks his head. “Er, sorry. I guess that sounds ridiculous.”

“No.” Pony’s arm tightens around his shoulders, and he glances over, meets aer eyes. Ae smiles at him. “I feel it, too. Like there’s a _ possibility _ here.” Ae turns to Party, and Jet directs his gaze to them, too, watches Party’s nervous expression turn just a little warmer.

“I...I think I do,” Party says, clutching at their own chest. “I mean...I feel..._ something _ around you. I dunno, if…”

They trail off, uncertain again, and Jet shifts, keeping contact with Pony and putting his own arm over Party’s shoulders. “It’s okay,” he says. “It’s okay. I...want to get to know you, Party. You and Pony. It’s okay that you don’t have your soulmarks, that you don’t _ know _ if we belong together. If you _ think _ we _ might, _ then…” he smiles at them, as brightly as he can, “then isn’t it worth it?”

There’s a pause, as Party looks between the two of them, and then they laugh, and throw their own arms over his and Pony’s shoulders. “Yeah,” they say. “Yeah, I think--” they cut themself off with a gasp, yanking their arms back and clutching them to their chest with a hiss. “Ow, ow, _ ow,” _ they cry.

Pony and Jet move at once, reaching for Party. “What is it?” Jet asks, heart racing. “What’s wrong?”

“My arms,” Party says, pushing up one of their sleeves. “They just started _ burning, _ and--” they stop, staring at their arm.

Jet follows their gaze.

There are _ words _ on Party’s arm. Words!

“Oh my god,” he says, louder than he means to. “Party, are those--”

_ “Uh, what?” _ Party reads, their voice wavering slightly. They laugh, and Jet sees tears in the corners of their eyes. “Jet, oh my _ god, _ those are the worst first words!” 

“I panicked!” He says defensively, but he knows he’s grinning. Party’s words to him aren’t much better than _ his _ words to _ them, _ but that’s okay. He loves them anyway.

Party looks at their other arm. _ “That depends, do you? _Damn, Pony! You’re one smooth motherfucker, huh?”

“I try,” ae says, and ae's beaming. 

“What even _ happened?” _ Party asks, looking between their own outstretched arms. “They were _ gone, _ I got the surgeries when they first appeared, and now--now they’re fuckin’ _ here?” _

“I don’t know why,” Jet says, reaching out to clasp their hand in his, “but, well...there’s no denyin’ it now, right?” 

Party looks up at him, and there’s a moment of quiet before they smile at him again, mouth wide, eyes lighting up. “Yeah,” they say. “Yeah, I guess...there’s no denyin’ it.” They look at Pony, take aer hand in theirs. “Soulmates.” Their smile grows, and they throw their head back and laugh. “Soulmates! I got my goddamn _ soulmates!” _

Jet and Pony laugh along with them, joy bubbling up in his chest as Pony, too, takes his other hand. 

It won’t take long, he thinks, for the _ possibilities _ between them to become a solid _ something. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm a SUCKER for happy/hopeful endings. i hope you all enjoyed this, i had a lot of fun writing it! 😄
> 
> if you enjoyed, please feel free to leave kudos or a comment! i'd love to hear your thoughts!! 💖
> 
> and feel free to come talk to me on tumblr! http://enby-partypoison.tumblr.com/  
i reblog a lot of cool danger days/band content and talk about upcoming fics! ✨


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